UHS student arrested for robbing car salesman, stealing from Walmart

URBANA — An Urbana teenager who allegedly robbed a business to get money to buy a valentine for his girlfriend has been charged with aggravated robbery and burglary.

Carlos M. Harris, 17, who listed an address in the 2400 block of Prairie Green Drive, was arrested about 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Urbana Walmart, where he had allegedly shoplifted a stuffed animal. When he was arrested, police found a BB gun in his waistband.

An Urbana police report said police discovered that Harris matched the description of the person who had entered Vine Street Motors, 507 S. Vine St., U, about 1 p.m., approached a salesman with a BB gun poking through his clothing, and demanded money.

The employee told the robber they didn’t keep cash at the business so the robber then demanded cash from the man’s wallet. The victim handed over $51 and the robber left, the report said.

At Walmart, the loss prevention officer saw Harris select a stuffed animal and hide it in his clothes. When he attempted to leave without paying, he was stopped and searched. He had no money but did have the BB gun.

Harris was interviewed by police about both incidents and confessed to robbing the man at the car dealership and stealing the stuffed animal.

He said he went home from Urbana High School during his lunch period Thursday to get his BB gun to figure out how to get money. He then went to Vine Street Motors and looked around the business under the pretext of shopping for cars. He left but returned a short time later and robbed the salesman.

After leaving there, he spent $20 on baked goods at a downtown Urbana bakery and said he “lost” the rest of the money walking around Lincoln Square.

Judge Richard Klaus set Harris' bond at $50,000 and told him to be back in court March 26.

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While I find this story very funny, did the author really need to tarnish this poor boy's reputation? This is way too embarrassing of a story to write about a 17 year old. I can think of a lot of stupid mistakes I and others made at that age, and I certainly wouldn't want any of them flashed for the whole world to see.

Shame on you Mary Schenk. You'd think there would be newsworthy stories out there for you to be investigating instead of this. What, no dogs shot this week?

Quit hiding the fact he was a UHS student. He was on lunch hour ,when they turn people loose to smoke dope or do whatever they want. Why not close the campus for lunch? Hmmmmm......drop by Lincoln Square or a couple of those gas stations on Vine during lunch and you'll hear some of the most vulgar language in public ever. I made the mistake of suggesting a student " tone it down" when I had my kids with me at a local gas station, and had to be the tail end of a cussing only fit for a sailor. You're right it is disgraceful, and until the schools make a move on this " turn em loose" lunch program, it aint gonna change.

Check your facts about the 'turn em loose' statement. Some of the class levels have a closed campus lunch hour and can't leave. What you have failed to do is educate yourself about the size of the lunch area and the number of the student population. they can't all fit in the same space at the same time.

How about you donate a million or more to add an addition to the school that would house a brand new kitchen and cafeteria and the entire student population for the 3 or 4 lunch breaks that take place everyday. The "Crestis16 Memorial Cafeteria".

The mistake you made was missing an opportunity to call the police and have the kid sited for disturbing the peace. If you were upset and beating a path out of there and your children were upset by it too, then you are well within your right to call the police. Got a cellphone that takes pictures or records? Use it and exercise your rights. And follow up by contacting the owner or manager of the gas station. If the kids cause a problem then the owner/manager needs to send them off the property.

AND, did you take a survey of where each of those kids were from? Don't rush to think that they may have all been Urbana students. Champaign kids come over here and have friends in Urbana and they could have been some or all of them.

I agree; he's a minor, why publish all that? A felony charge? A lenghty prior record? We don't know. Maybe he purchased some donuts and cinnamon rolls with litl' hearts on them that read 'I luv ya hunny bunny' and, tried to buy a car? We don't know.

This had NOTHING to do with anything that happened on the high school property. So what if he left the school grounds on his lunch break, lots do, but to link him to the school in the headline is just grabbing at yet something else to bash the school district with, and especially when he had gone home to get the gun. That surely seperates this from any activity associated with the school.

Joe American, I don't think this is a funny story. Even though it was a BB gun, the perp could have caused the car salesman to have a heart attack. Or the car salesman could have had a real gun and shot the kid.

Armed robbery at any time is not humorous to me, and on Vine Street in broad daylight at 1 O'Clock in the afternoon it is less humorous.

The fact that a young man on a lunch break from school felt the solution to his needing cash for a Valentine gift was to rob someone threatening to shoot them is a sad reflection of our society. It is pathetic.

I feel the same way about who thinks that this robbery is funny: pathetic.

This kind of crime impacts many seniors who now may fear to walk in Urbana in the daytime, much less at night.

This was not an innocent error in judgement by a child. The original Urbana Police Department media report cited two other individuals also being present during the robbery and notes that they also ran after the money was taken.

I have taken walks in that area and when I read a report of this event I began to question whether I can still walk down streets in Urbana safely. This was not at 2:00AM in the morning, this is mid day.

I also thought about what I would do if I were accosted the same way as was the salesman. I considered what would happen if I just told them off and just kept walking past them. Would I have been assaulted?

I thought about ways I could defend myself if attacked. This is real. Three young men robbing someone at one in the afternoon on Vine Street near Lincoln Square. Student(s) on lunch break...

People need to realize that it is ok to have an opinion and the world will always say how they feel and what they want. I am this child's mother and in no way do I uphold My son Carlos in any wrong doing. If I could trade places with my son I would In a heartbeat if that meant he could get a second chance. My son is a lost boy right now, and yes I say boy because at the end of the day he is a minor. We as parents are not our children's only influence. My son made a mistake and I thank God that no one was hurt or killed in this situation, including my son. I could be going to a funeral instead of court hearings. I think what Carlos did was wrong and if he makes it through this without his life being ruined I really think that he will change his outlook on life and the decisions he has made. I truely believe that this is a different situation and my son needs help not locked away for the majority of his life. There was a man in court on this past Fri. charges were being run down in the court room from now untill the early 90's, and he walked away with a 1,000 bond how fair is that? this is my son's first offense. My son was not alone and it is stated in the police report. where are the others that were involved? I would give up and loose everything if it meant that Carlos could have another chance. He does not need to be in there with grown rapist, drug dealers, and murderers. How is that teaching him anything? You will teach him how to be a criminal. He needs to be with children his own age if he has to be locked away. Anyone who knows my son, knows he is not ready for this and what I mean by that, is he has struggled all his life. iI people can claim insanity what about children who have issues? I am not making light of the situation but the punishment should fit the crime on a case by case basis.

If you are indeed this child's mother, I would highly recommend not commenting in a public forum while the case is still active in the criminal justice system. Allow the prosecution and defense attorneys to work this case out in the courts -- there is virtually nothing to be gained by pleading his case to a bunch of anonymous internet commenters who will judge your son harshly no matter what the outcome is. Good luck and God bless.

Ryder! This IS great advice and thank you. You are correct, it really makes no sense to get on here and "defend" what you or your child has done because folks will judge even tho they don't know a thing about you or your children.